More than a decade after the release of her 2009 “Turnin Me On (Remix),” Keri Hilson is addressing the controversy that’s followed her ever since. Specifically, the not-so-subtle jab at Beyoncé that had fans in a frenzy.
During a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, the R&B singer got candid about the infamous line: “You can dance, she can sing / But she need to move it to the left, left.” According to Hilson, those words didn’t come from her at all.
“It’s a regret. But not in the way people think,” she explained. “That’s a song I actually didn’t write. Those are not my words.”
Keri Hilson interview
The lyric, she revealed, was penned by hitmaker Ester Dean. And while Hilson says she pushed back on including it at the time, she ultimately went along with the track. “Automatically, I was like, ‘I’m not saying that.’ That was my position,” she recalled. “I’m an athlete. I am competitive. But I’m not nasty, I’m a finesse player. I don’t look at things like that.”
The fallout from the perceived diss lingered for years, fueling fan drama and straining Hilson’s public image. Despite her impressive catalog and undeniable vocal talent. Her comments now shed new light on the situation. Thus, suggesting she felt boxed into a moment she never wanted to define her.
Ester Dean pens open letter
Ester Dean is speaking out following Keri Hilson’s recent remarks about the infamous “Turnin Me On (Remix),” which many fans took as a diss toward Beyoncé. After Hilson told The Breakfast Club that the lyric—“She need to move it to the left, left”—wasn’t hers and that the moment negatively impacted her career, Dean took to Instagram to set the record straight.
In an open letter, the acclaimed songwriter offered context, not confrontation, explaining how the controversial track came to be. “Back in July 2008, I started working with Polow Da Don in Atlanta,” Dean wrote. “I wasn’t famous. Wasn’t chasing clout. I was in the studio – day and night – writing 3 to 4 songs a day. No friends.’ No family. Just work.”
Dean’s message was as much a defense of her process as it was a reminder of the sacrifices many songwriters make behind the scenes. While Hilson expressed regret over how the record shaped her public image, Dean’s response offered a nuanced look into the high-pressure, fast-paced world of hitmaking.
Though she hasn’t dropped a full studio album since 2010, Hilson’s reflection feels like a step toward rewriting the narrative. And while a public reconciliation between her and Beyoncé might still be wishful thinking, fans are welcoming her honesty. And hoping for a fresh chapter.
